Chapter 5

At dusk, with London winding down, Lenina and Henry, having abandoned their game of golf, are back in the helicopter, hovering over the town and taking in its sights. Lenina asks Henry about the structural aspect of a prominent building, but Henry only gives her a bland, factual response, which seems almost robotic to her.

Soon, readers find out that even corpses are put to use in this society—huge amounts of phosphorus are recovered from cremating dead bodies, which is used to bolster plant life. Lenina makes a snide remark here, wondering why Alphas and Betas don’t grow more plants than Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons. Though her question is philosophical, albeit inadvertently, Henry responds rigidly once again. He says, “All men are physico-chemically equal.” Meanwhile, Henry finds himself thinking of mortality, but quickly dismisses those thoughts as he is trained to do.

The conversation that ensues shows that each social group is trained to believe, unquestioningly, in its own “merits.” Even Epsilons, who are at the bottom of this hierarchy, seem to believe that there are merits to their oppressed state. In effect, they do not seem to recognize that they are deliberately placed at the bottom.

Henry and Lenina have dinner and “soma” with friends and then head to the cabaret, where they dance and get more intoxicated. As they return to Henry’s apartment, they are extremely “happy” on “soma,” yet her strict training kicks in, and Lenina ensures that they use contraception.

Bernard attends the Solidarity Service every other Thursday. He is late to one of the meetings and quickly grabs the closest chair to avoid being noticed. However, like most of his conversations, his conversation with Morgana Rothschild here reminds him that people consider him a misfit, and he finds this realization more disquieting than usual. The meeting is a coming together of men and women, who drink several rounds of soma and sing hymns together. It is meant to make them happier but Bernard has never felt happy here.

Analysis

This chapter focuses on the characters’ social lives. Lenina and Henry are on a date. They enjoy a game of golf, have dinner and wine before retiring to Henry’s apartment.

Despite their conditioned aversion to probing abstract thoughts and emotions, Lenina and Henry nonetheless find themselves moved in ways deemed inappropriate in this society. For instance, Lenina is awed by natural beauty, whereas Henry is saddened by the concept of death.

Bernard attempts to gain respect and acceptance are in vain. He attends the Solidarity Service where men and women drink together in pursuit of happiness under the guidance of a counselor. However, Bernard only sees this as a custom driven by the participants’ blind acceptance and only feels more alienated by the experience.